Improved furnace for smelting- ores



fTo all whom it wiwi/concern 4f stamt time caw.

CHARLES H, SWAIN, 0F BROOKLYN, NEWORK anni @fina-@A i Leim Patent No. 87,725, dated March e, 1869,

` Beit known that I, CHARLES HfSWAIN, of the city lof Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new andirnproved Furnace for SmeltingOres; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full'and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification. ,l 4 f The nature of my invention cous/ists in the use of the gas obtained from petroleum or other. oil, or any of `the products of petroleum-oil, asbenzine, naph tha, 85e.,l

and in the use of a suctionfpump or suction-blower, by

Awhich means I propose to cause the re'to pass down and through the ore to be smelted, and by the heat generated from the fire, the oil is vapor-ized, and passes into a distributing-vessel, and from thence, by pipes,

the .gas is conveyed down to andiaround the outside.

of the receiver containingtheoil. There it becomes ignited, and, by its heat, causes a' continuous ow'of gas, and, at the lsame time, supplies the requisite heat to smelt the ores.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will .proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure l is an upright sectional view of a furnace.

A is a suction-pump or a suction-blower.

B B are pipes, through which draught is created by suction, A. Y

O is a cover, over the opening in pipe B, made of iron, and suitably protectcdby fire-clay, or other maf terial, this cover being suitably placed to keep the ore from obstructing the draught:

D D' D D' are pipes, through which gas is suplied.A 1 p E E is a receiver for the oil, supplied from the vesselK, through the pipe M, regulated by the cock L.

F F is the feed, through which ore is supplied. G Gis a receiver, into which Ythe gas flows'from the oil-receiver E E, throughthepipe H, andfrom which the pipes D `D"`D"D' conduct it back to and laround the outside of the oil-receiver E E. l

H is a ppe, through which the gas ows from the oil-receiver E ,E to the gas-receiverG. y

J is a cover: to feedzF.

. K is a vessel to' contain .the oil or other material, connected, by pipe M, `with the oil-receiver E Il.-

L is a cock, lto regulate the flow of oil to the oil-receiver E E'. J l A M is a pipe connectingoil-vessel K with oil-receiver N is a damper, or slide, to regulate the supply of ore to thev chamber U. y j

O OO 0 are fire-brick, orl other suitable material, to protect the exposed iron of the furnace. P Pf represent the iron sides of the furnace, which, with the fire-brick and other parts, may be made of any material and put together in any manner suited to thekind of ore to be smeIted.

R R It, R are covers over the air-pipes V V V" V, to regulate the supply of air.

S is an opening on the side of Ithe furnace, atthe bottom, to draw o' the metal.

Tis an opening on the opposite side from S, a little above the bottom, to draw oli' the slag, the openings n S and T to have plugs, of suitable material, by which the dow of metal and slag may be regulated.

U is the chamber in which the ore is smelted.

V V V"V"l arepipes through which air is supplied, and mixes with ythe gas from pipes D D D D', be-

.fore it passes to the chamber W, from the receiver G G. The pipes D D D D passing `only part of the,

way through, allow the gas and oxygen from the `air vto so combine, and-by means of the covers R R R R', the' quantity of oxygen requisite to obtain perfect combustion is regulated.

Figure 2 is a horizontal view of the oil-receiver. M is the opening for the supply-pipe from vessel K, in iig. l.

H is the opening for the pipe, to convey the gas from oil-receiver to gas-receiver.v S

Figure' is a receiver for the gas generated from the oil-receiver E E, fig. 1. y D are the openings for the pipes D D D" D, fig. 1. Figure 4 is a horizontal view, of the bottom of the furnace. B B is the pipe, throughwhich draught is obtained. O is the cover over the pipe B, more plainly seen in iig. 1. c

S and T are openings, to draw off metal and slag. U is the inside of chamber. To commence to operate with this furnace, I pro- `ceed as follows:l

First supply the oil-vessel K with oil, and by means of cock Lpartially iill oil-receiver E E. Then open the cover J and damper N, and make up a fire in the chamber U, with some light and combustible material, and create a draught byfmeans of the blower A, using the feed F F as an outlet for smoke, 86e. Oontinue this re till the oil in the oil-receiver E E begins to vaporize', and the gas from the gas-receiver G G flows into the'pipes D DD"D, and becomes ignited. Then close the cover J and damper, or slide N, and reverse the blower A, making asuetion, and th'us cause the air to draw' down through the air-pipes VV V" V',

regulating the quantity of air by means of the covers R lt' It R. The tire thus produced in the chamber U, is `placed in contact with the oil-receiver E E, and continiie's to vaporize the oil. The oil-receiver is to be movable, up or down, to bring it to the position Where it will receive sutiicient heat to generate the gas, and not destroy the receiver. i

When a steady supply of gas is obtained, which may be increasedror diminishedby the cock L, open Athe cover J, and close the slide or damperN, and put the ore to be smelted into the feed F.' Close the cover J, and open slide N, and allow the ore to fall into the chamber Continue this till the chamber U and feed F, below the slide N, are full of ore, and, as the suction is down and through the ore, the fire is brought directly in contact with it, and, as it melts, it runs to the bottom of the chamber, below the top of pipe B, and is drawn oi, as desired, at the openings S and T.

The chamber U and feed F, when once lled with ore, are to be kept constantly full, and as the ore melts and settles down, its place is supplied with new ore from the feed F, above the slide N.

I do not` confine my invention to the number of pipes or jets by which the gas is distributed, or the position of the oil cr gas-receivers and pipes, yor the shape of the furnace, or manner of its construction, making it of 'and lining it with any suitable material, and arranging the pipes for the draught, in any form, at the bottom of the furnace, so that the draught yis downward and through the ore to be smelted. v

I do not claim the use, of petroleum in vapor for roasting ores, as that has been described'in the patent of Simon Stevens, June 7, 1864; but having described my invention,

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Smelting ores of gold, silver, and copper, by means of the vapors of petroleum, or other hydrocarbons, applied substantially as herein described.

2. The use of an exhaust, A, and connecting-pipes B B, by means of which I obtain a partial vacuum, and create a draughtdownvvard and through the ores to be smelted.

3. rBhe construction of the oil-receiver E E and gasreceiver G G, around the feed F, and for the purposes as substantially set forth.

v 4. The protecting cover C over the pipes B B.

5. The arrangement of the feed F F and cover J with the damper, or slide N, by which means the furnace is made selilfeeding, all as substantially set forth, and vforming a continuous process for smelting gold, silver, and other ores.

Witnesses: OHAS. H. SWAIN.

EDWARD MGGARTEN, Tnos. E. JACKSON.` 

